Caution! Beliefs are no longer a certainty.

Belief says the sun will rise again.

In today's politically charged world opinions and attitudes change with every newscast.  If the latest poll data show that one way of thinking is popular, then that's the direction we should all go.  A person's belief should be something that they stand firm in as the truth.  The dictionary actually states that belief is trust, faith, or confidence in something or someone.  In America, we've obviously changed the definition of belief.  We change our mind on what we believe in so much that the concept of belief is becoming as mythical as a unicorn.  The question is why?  Why don't our beliefs stand the test of time anymore?  Are we so advanced that nothing is true anymore?


The biggest problem with our belief system is our moods.  At certain points in our life we have a basic need to believe in something and have major convictions to take a hard stand on that belief.  Then at other points in our life, usually when things are very successful, we have a much more lax view of life, and our convictions wane because of it.  One of the key moods that kill our belief system is self pity.  We are all raised to believe that you should work hard to get ahead in life.  Then times get tough and we start to list all the things that we have working against us in life.  That's when we allow self pity to intervene and let us by-pass our belief of hard work.  Then we are free from the restraints of our belief system and can get ahead by any means necessary.  Most of us are raised to believe that a higher power is watching over us.  Unfortunately, when times get tough we feel like that higher power has abandoned us.  Then our selfish feelings push away those beliefs of a higher power and more importantly the self governing rules that come with that belief.  We will all to quickly abandon the rules that protect us and those around us from our selfish acts that come with self pity.  Letting your feelings govern your belief system can be harmful for all you come into contact with.

A solid belief system can lead to a happy family.

I guess the question is, if you change your belief for any reason at all, was it every really a belief of yours? Yes, I know we all grow older and make wiser choices and believe things we should have believed all along.  That's not what I'm getting at.  The issue I'm talking about is changing your beliefs with the change of seasons.  A belief should be something that can guide you through the ups and downs of your life.  Whether your feeling good or bad about your life, your belief should remain in tact.  No matter what your friends are doing your beliefs should still dictate your actions and reactions to this life.  If your belief is on uncertain ground so is your life, family, and friends.  A little discipline in your belief system will go a long ways to stabilize your life.  I hope you find the courage to stand firm in your beliefs.

DISCIPLINE! If parents don't have it kids never will.

Children by flickr

It goes without saying that it's a different world today.  There are no more consequences for incorrect behavior anymore.  Today's kids seem to have no discipline, respect, or manners.  But the question is why? What is different?  Are teachers teaching differently?  Are coaches, mentors, and leaders of kid's clubs no longer trying to hold kids accountable?  The short answer is no, but somehow the proven techniques of the past are falling short.  We have entered the era of feel good parenting.  And it's coming with the staggering price of kids and adults not having respect for anything or anyone in this world.

Parents today no longer want to be seen as the disciplinarian in their child's eyes.  I'm guessing that these parents have some need to be accepted by their children.  So being the enforcer of rules runs contrary to this need to have your child approving of you and thus making you feel like someone loves you.  Some would quickly blame divorced households for the competing factors of parents seeking their kid's approval.  But it is no longer just for kids of divorced parents.  There are parents that live in the same home competing against one another.  These parents will say that they want their child to have discipline.  After all that's why they send them to school, or play sports.  The problems come when the teacher, coach, or mentor makes a rule and the parent doesn't back it up.  If your child is failing a class and you accept his excuses then you undermine all the discipline that a teacher is trying to instill in your child.  If you tell a coach that your child is special and shouldn't have to run laps after practice, then you have destroyed his tried and true method of making a child live up to their potential.  Letting a coach, teacher, or mentor push your kid is not going to harm them.  Kids thrive under the right amount of pressure.  Your child can excel at anything in this life if he is pushed out of the nest.  The lessons of discipline are so crucial in raising a child to be a productive member of society.  Why do parents think that their baby can bypass this important step?

A little discipline never hurt.

A child first sees discipline at work in his home.  Your child takes note on whether or not you have the discipline to stick to your words.  A child will push and prod to see if you will stay disciplined in things such as bedtimes, eating correct foods, saying things like thank you and yes sir, and all the other little things that should take place in the home.  If your five year old doesn't have a bedtime, you are setting yourself up for a child that doesn't respect your rules or the rules of society.  Being a parent is hard.  Your commitment to bringing a child in this world requires you to have discipline in your on life.  Being the popular parent when your child is young will lead to a willful young adult that insults you every time you don't intervene and tell his boss that he is special.  If you don't hold yourself to a standard, your child will never hold himself to a standard.  Discipline must start at home.

I pray my rant is overstated.  I fear a world where discipline, respect, and manners are not only no longer taught but forgotten all together.